Life is long enough for Europa League and European Handball Championship semi-final

All sorts of miracles are possible in the world of sport. Even this — that a man who once made it as a professional footballer could do the same in handball and reach the very top. This is one of those stories.

For those who may not know, the Men’s European Handball Championship is currently underway. The tournament has reached the semi-final stage, and in one of those matches we will see the national team of Iceland.

One of the biggest surprises of the competition has been Iceland’s place in the final stages, but that story would not be complete without one handball player in particular — Viggo Kristjansson.

Thirteen years ago, Viggo Kristjansson was patrolling the midfield for Icelandic side Breidablik, a club that season also chasing a place in the Europa League qualifiers.

Football eventually fell by the wayside — a turn of events many Icelandic, and global, handball fans are quietly thankful for. Growing up, Kristjansson lived a double sporting life, splitting his time evenly between football and handball.

He first laced up boots and threw a handball at the age of five or six. But by 15, a choice had to be made, and at the time football won out. "My dream was – like most footballers – to play for Liverpool and in the Premier League", he tells TV 2 Sport.

That dream didn’t feel far-fetched. Now 32, the Icelander progressed through youth national teams and reached the Icelandic top flight, making his league debut in 2013. Still, things didn’t unfold as he had hoped. As the football path became more uncertain, handball began pulling him back in. Teammates were moving abroad, turning pro, earning senior national team call-ups — while he felt left behind. Something had to give.

Kristjansson took the leap. Grass pitches were swapped for indoor courts, shin guards for sticky resin. "At the time, everyone thought I had gone crazy because it was a wild decision. But I never doubted that I could become a good handball player with hard work and belief in myself"

Looking back now, there’s no mistaking the pride he feels about the unconventional road he chose. He still believes football could have taken him far — but he has no regrets about where handball has brought him.